Black Diamond Flare

Most emergency headlamps are just that—last-ditch lights for when things go wrong. With the Flare, Black Diamond designed a lamp that’s compact enough that it can slip into a breast pocket, but capable enough to provide all the light we needed on dawn patrols and short overnights. The Flare’s dustproof, waterproof aluminum body is about the size of a thimble, and it runs off coin batteries that last for about 4 hours on high. The light twists on and off and has low and high settings, a red light, and both strobe and SOS modes. On a camping trip to western Colorado’s Unaweep Canyon, the Flare put out a respectable 40 lumens, enough for camp chores and hiking on straightforward terrain. The Flare’s shock cord headband with a woven strap at the front sat comfortably on our foreheads and packs away small. Ding: We found we needed two hands to adjust the light, as trying to twist the dial one-handed just ended up twisting the entire assembly.